Discussing “Self” Through Process-Focused ESL Writing Lessons

Conference: The Paris Conference on Education (PCE2022)
Title: Discussing “Self” Through Process-Focused ESL Writing Lessons
Stream: Foreign Languages Education & Applied Linguistics (including ESL/TESL/TEFL)
Presentation Type: Virtual Presentation
Authors:
Jamie Ortolano, Sogang University, South Korea
Aaron Hahn, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, United States

Abstract:

Writing lessons in ESL courses are often challenging for both students and teachers due to the complexity of the writing task and students’ errors. Unlike reading lessons where the learner’s problem is clearly observable and measurable, writing classes can be ambiguous and elusive. Thus, it is common for the teacher to succumb to the use of a template, so that students can copy useful expressions and the standardized organization of a model essay. Although there are some benefits in this approach, this may lead to meaningless lessons where students just regurgitate what the teacher instills in them. To combat this issue, we suggest that the teacher focuses on the step-by-step process of writing by enabling students to discuss their own life experiences and observations in the writing class. This shift of instructional approach will allow students to think for themselves without too much pressure and personalize English as a second language, not a foreign language, contributing to their self efficacy and continuous creative development.



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